’In Apple’s quest to make things better, it feels like things have gotten worse." - Greenberg

Investing.com -- Financial journalist Herb Greenberg today criticized Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL)’s product quality and strategy in a memo titled "Memo to Apple: Stop Trying to Fix What Ain’t Broke." Greenberg, who has been an iPhone user for nearly 20 years, expressed dissatisfaction with multiple product issues including bugs in iOS upgrades, a scratched iPhone screen, and inconsistent AirPods connectivity.

Greenberg expressed frustration with the complexity of Apple’s new technology, reminiscing about the simplicity and elegance of Apple products in the past. He suggested that Apple is losing focus on the wrong things, saying, "in Apple’s quest to make things better, it feels like things have gotten worse."

Greenberg added that the current state of Apple’s technology is advanced enough that he sees no compelling need to upgrade his iPhone every year, leading to his question, "So... why does it seem like things suddenly aren’t right?"

The journalist raised concerns about Apple’s financial strategy. He pointed out a short argument that Apple is spending most of its free cash flow (FCF) on stock buybacks and dividends, with the last quarter seeing almost $24 billion spent on buybacks and $4 billion on dividends, causing a decline in net cash.

Greenberg also highlighted the potential risks Apple faces in China. He suggested that Apple is a pawn in the larger geopolitical game between the U.S. and China. He also noted that Apple’s manufacturing largely takes place in China, which could pose further challenges if the company had to move its production out of the country.

He concluded his memo by suggesting that Apple’s priority seems to have shifted from pleasing customers to pleasing Wall Street. He argued that if Apple put customers first, his AirPods would connect seamlessly, his screen wouldn’t scratch, and the company wouldn’t be constantly trying to fix things that aren’t broken.

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